Rotary pump, compressor, motor, and the like



Aprrifl 3Q), 1135= W. MORGAN 1,99%32539 ROTARY PUMP, COMPRESSOR, MOTOR, AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 30, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet l Aprrifi 39, 11935. w MORGAN 1,999,339

ROTARY PUMP, COMPRESSOR, MOTOR, AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 30, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 9 991 99, 11999., W, MOI'QGAN 11,999,999

ROTARY PUMP, COMPRESSbR, MOTOR, AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. so, 1933 5 She ets-Sheet 5 April w, 1935.. W. MORGAN 1l,999,339

ROTIzRY PUMP, COMPRESSOR, MOTOR, AND THE' LIKE Filed Aug. 3 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 I'TT] (TTI WGI',6' I Q a: n v F fi K c 1 V O 0 I p3 A HG?) \& lix 0 614 all? y Patented Apr. 30, 1935 warren stares earns-r orri cfs ROTARY PUMP, COMPRESSOR, MUTOR,

' AND THE LIKE William Morgan, Clifton, BristoljEngland Application August 30, 1933, Serial No. 687,525 In Great Britain September 2, 1932 4 Claims. (c1. 103-141) controlled that, during its rotation with the rotor,

it is also constrained periodicafly to change the aspect of its working face and to make such an annular feathering movementwithin the working chamber as will enable the said vane to pass from the high-pressure side to the low-pressure side of the fixed fluid abutment.

The specification or" British Letters Patent No. 341,013 describes machines of this type, in which the feathering mechanism imparts to each vane, a continuous rotational movement of constant or uniform velocity; the construction of the variour, parts being such that whilst each vane is positioned across the working chamber during the greater part of the cycle, the feathering mechanism operates, as the vane approaches the abutment, so to position the said vane that it may pass the said abutment.

In such machines, however, the rotating vane has to be permitted a substantial angular movement in passing the stationary abutment, and to provide for this, the clearances which have to be arranged for between the vane blades and the sides of the abutment must be of such magnitude that substantial fluid transfer may occur between the highpressure and the low pressure sides of the abutment, with consequent loss Keepecially where gases are being dealt with) in the volumetric efiiciency of the machine. Furthermore, where a pair of vanes are fixed to the opposite ends of common spindle which is cont .uously rotated by the feathering mechanism, the vanes must be arranged in planes at right angles to one another in order that they may be successively carried past the stator abutment by the revolving rotor. This arbitrary consideration imposes a limitation upon that period of the cycle during which each vane is effective as fluid-impelling or fluid-impelled member; and may also, in some constructions, impose limitations on the cross-sectional area or capacity of worinng chamber that can be embodied in a machine of any given dimension.

One object of the present invention is to enable the reduction or" the working clearances between the rotor vanes and the stator abutment, and also to enable the cross-sectional area of the working chamber to be substantially increased relatively to the cross-sectional area of the vane-passage or passagesinor at the vicinity of the stator abut ment, with consequent avoidance of transfer lossesand improved volumetric efficiency as compared with machines of the continuously-rotating vane type.

A further object is to provide, in multiplevane machines, oscillatory-control mechanisms which will enable such relative setting of the feathering vanesthat each vane may be made operative through an angle greater than 90, with consequent increase in the cross-sectional area or capacity of the working chamber irrespective of the cross-sectional area of the vane passage or passages in or at the abutment.

According to the said inventiomeither or both of the above-mentioned objects may be realized by providing, in combination withvanes adapted to have a feathering action,'control mechanism which is adapted to impart a varying or harmonic oscillatory movement to the rotor-revolved vanesyand which is preferably so timed in its operations that, as regards each vane' so controlled, a change in the direction of oscillation, with consequent minimum angular movement, may be made to synchronize, or approximately synchronize, with the travel of that vane through or past the stator abutment.

From this it results that, since only small angular vane movements have to be provided for between the surfaces, the clearances between vane blades and abutment faces may be reduced to small magnitudes, and since with oscillatory feathering action, right-angled settings of the vanes at the opposite ends of a common spindle are no longer arbitrary, any relative setting within substantial limits (greater or less than 90) may beadapted to suit' the particular requirements of a given pump, motor, or other machine.

Having regard to the general characteristics of the rotary pumps, motors, and the like to which the present invention is applicable, it is desirable that whatever form of vane-control mechanism is employed, it must be capable of being driven by the rotor and be adapted to convert the rotary drive into oscillatory motion at the vane spindle or spindles; Given these capacities, various mechanisms may be adopted for the purposes of the present invention, but the constructions hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings are set outas examples of compact and eificient inechanisms'which, by suitable modification in detail, may be adapted to oscillate Cir,

wherein like reference characters have been employed to designate like parts throughout the several views,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, sectional view through a portion of the rotor, showing one form of vaneoscillating mechanism,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, vertical sectional'view' through a portion of the rotor and stator,

Fig. 2A is a fragmentary sectional view of a portion of a rotor having two circumferential working chambers, this view showing a threeblade oscillatory vane in animpelling or working position,

Fig. 2B is a view similar to Fig. 2A but showing the oscillatory vane having its blades alined with the rotor chambers to permit the. rotor to pass the spaced abutments carried by the stator.

Fig. 2C is a fragmentary, sectional view on the line C-D of Fig. 2D, showing an oscillatory vane of double blade construction, this view showing the vane in a position to pass the abutment carried by the stator,

Fig. 2D is a sectional view on the line A-B of Fig. 2E,

Fig. 2E is a fragmentary, vertical sectional view, showing one of the recesses formed in the inner face of the stator chamber adjacent the abutment, to accommodate the vanes as they are moved to abutment-passing position,

" Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view, partly in section, of a modified form of the vane-oscillating mechanism, 7

Figs. 4 and 5 are fragmentary views, partly in section, of a further modified form of the vaneoscillating mechanism, Figs. 6 and '7 are, respectively, fragmentary vertical and horizontal sectional views through a portion of a rotor and stator showing a further modified form of the vane-oscillating mechanism, and

Figs. 8 and 9 are, respectively. transverse, fragmentary vertical and horizontal sectional views through a portion of a rotor and stator, showing a still further modified form of the vane-oscillating mechanism.

Each mechanism essentially comprises an anchored member which constitutes or carries a stationary fulcrum that'provides for the conversion or translation of the rotary motion of the revolving rotor-and-vane assembly into oscillatory motion in transmission to the vane spindle, since any point or area'which is offset in relation to the rotor axis may be so mechanically coupled, articulated, or linked to the vane-spindle as to produce, in the latter, the oscillation derived from the revolving assembly. 7

In the application illustrated diagrammatically in Figure l of the drawings, the rotor a embodies a slide-bar b set perpendicular to the axis of the vane-spindle c and radial to the rotor axis; the same being adapted to reciprocate in guides a in the rotor casing. The shaft of the fixed fulcrum member (1 is extended through a hollow journal of the rotor and carries, on its inner face,

a crank-pin d which is off-set from the centre of the said fixed shaft (1. This crank pin is coupled to the slide-bar by a connecting link d and the bar is in turn coupled to the vane-spindle c by another connecting link and crank d d The vanes c 0 may be fixed to the opposite ends of the vane spindle, at right angles (or at a greater or less angle) relative to one another as shown in Figure 2, and the whole vane and rotor assembly is arranged to revolve within the stator casing e which internally embodies, in a position intermediate the fluid intake and delivery ports e e stationary fluid abutments f,

' each of which (when two abutments are used) engages a circumferential working chamber of the rotor. The spindle oscillating mechanism is so timed in its operations that, as each vane of the revolving assembly approaches the stationary abutment ,f, the said vane is feathered from its working position across the chamber and brought towards such alignment with the said chamber as will enable the abutment to be passed; the actual passing being synchronized, by the control-gear timing, to occur during the slowing down in the angular velocity of the vane spindle which results from the reversal of the direction of oscillation of the spindle.

Instead of connecting the slide bar to the vane spindle by a connecting link as shown in Figure l, the connection may be made by a pin fixed to the vane spindle and slidably engaging a swivelling attachment on the slide-bar.

Another construction of vane oscillating gear is shown diagrammatically inFigure 3, where a pin d is carried by the fixed shaft (1 in off-set re lation to the centre of the latter. This crank pin is free to rotate in its bearing and is also restrained against endlong movement. The inner end (2 thereof is adapted to slide upon a wrist-pin 01 which is held parallel with the vane spindle c, and engages jams or forks in rocker arms c which arefixed to the said spindle 0. With this constructon, as the rotor-and-vane assembly is revolved, the wrist-pin d is, by virtue of its sliding connection with the off-set swivelling pin d constrained to move harmonically with reference to the axis of the vane spindle and to transmit a corresponding oscillation to the vane spindle. In a modification ofv this construction, the wristpin d may be pivoted to the rocker-arms c and the off-set pin (2 may be so mounted in the sta-' tionary member 11 that it is free to move endwise in its bearing as well as to swivel therein.

A further construction of control gear is illustrated in- Figures 4 and 5. Here the stationary or anchored member of the system consists of a Z-shaft whose ends (1 are carried in journals aligned with the rotor axes, and whose pin [1'' is supported between the off-set cranks d obliquely across the interior of'the rotor in such a plane that the axis of the said pin :2 intersects the axis of the vane spindle c. The point of this intersection is also coincident with the axis of rotation of the rotor. The oblique pin d may be arranged at an angle of to the shaft ends d or at any other desired angle, according to the amplitude of oscillation to be imparted to the vane spindle.

The vane spindle c is cranked at c as shown in Figure 5 to give the necessary oscillating clearance between the said spindle and the oblique pin 5Z and the said pin (1 and the spindle crank c are coupled by a Y-shaped link or stirrup d the head-arms d of which embrace, and are free to turn upon, the pin (1 whilst the stem d has a free swivelling or pivotal and sliding con nection with the crank c" of the vane spindle.

With this construction, when the rotor-andvane assembly is revolving, the stirrup d is constrained, by its connection with the va -aspindle, to turnupon the stationary pin d", and by vir- Ell-$99,339

:gear is shown in Figures 6 and 'l where the stationary or anchored shai"-nie1nber d carries a crank a which is located within the rotor chamber intermediate the vane spindle c and the outer wall of the rotor. This crank supports, in ofi-set relation to the centre of the shaft d,

a stud or short spindle (1 which is free to revolve in the crank and is disposed obliquely to the anchored shaft at an angle of 45 or otherwise, according to th amplitude of oscillation to be imparted to the vane spindle. In the illus-- trated construction, the-spindle d is set at an angle of. 45 to the shaft d and the parts are so arranged tl'iat the axes of the said spindle and shaft would, produced, intersect one another at a point in tie vane-spindle about mid-way between the vane-carryin ends;

At this mid-point, the vane-spindle is furnished with wrist-pin e which is extended from the opposite sides of the s id spindle to provide a pair of trunnions to which are respectively journalled the arms e of a U-shaped stirrup linl: whose cross-pin e is so journalled in the off-set anchored spindle (2 that the said stirrup link may rock or oscillate in and relatively to the said spindle.

Ehe wrist-pin on the vane spindle of the rotorand-vane assembly is thus so coupled by the rocking stirrup link to the oblique and oil-set anchored spindle that, when the saidassembly is revolved relatively to the anchored member, the vane spindle'is constrained to oscillate and to change the direction of its angular movement twice during each cycle of the rotor. These oscillations are preferably so timed or controlled that (in the case of a double-vane machine such as illustrated in these Figures 6 and '7) each change in the direction. oscillation of the spindle synchronizes (actually or approximate 1y) with the passing of the stator abutment 7' by one of the vanes 0 c According to a further a ication of the invention whereby the above-discussed advantages may also be realised, the controlled oscillation of the vane-spindle may be provided for by .a swash-plate type of mechanism as in the construction shown in Figures 8 and 9 where the anchored shaft of the system embodies an oblique-faced off-set member which, in effect, is a mechanical equivalent to the anchored oblique crank-pin of the construction shown in Figures '4 and 'or the oblique anchored spindle or" the construction shown in Figures 6 and 7.

In the'construction shown in thesai'd Figures 8 and E9, the vane spindle 'c embodies, mid-way between its vane-carrying ends, a gimbal-ring c in which a swash-plate is so pivoted that it may swing about an axis at right angles to the axis-of the vane-s indle, which latter axis passes through the point of intersection of the axes of the rotor and the vane spindle. The stationary or anchored shaft dis furnished with a fulcrum member d fashioned to present an inclined plane surface with which the swash-plate e engages. The parts e 01 are so positioned that the common plane of contact between the co-engaging surfaces passesthrough, or approximates to, the intersections of the axes of the rotor and the vane spindle, and from this arrangement it results the abutment.

that, as therotor-and-vane assembly is revolved,

the rocking swash plate is .maintained in'contact with, and is oscillated by its movement with respect to, the oblique face of anchored member; this oscillation being so transmitted to th vane spindle that the latter changes its direction or movement twice during each revolution of the rotor; each change cing tin1edin the case of a two-vane mac as shown-to synchronize with the travel or one of the vanes c c past the stator abutment f.

In all the vane-oscillating mechanisms described, their ope'ations are so timed that as a vane is approaching the stator abutment, the angular velocity of angular displacement is slowed down in attair ng the impending change of directionand consequently the vane will experience the Y1ll um. angular displacement in This enables the faces of the vanes and ahutinents to be profiled or con toured with 1- mum clearances without n1aterially affecting the ,iency of the vanes as sealing valves whilst travelling past or through an abutment. Further, the vane passage or passages in or at the abutment may be made of a crosssectional substantially less in proportion to the cross-sectional of the working charnlz-er than is possible in machines where the vanes are given a continuous rotary movement of uniform velocity.

Where the vanes at the opposite ends of the spindle are set at right angles to'one another and. each oscillates through an angle of 98, the inclined fulcrum surface on the anchored member is pitched at an angle of 45 to the of the sp ndle, out where a greater or less angle of oscillation is required, the angle of the said fulruin surface is correspondingly varied. In fact, in the whole of the constructions of vane-control mechanisms wl involve the use of an inclined fulcruni pin or flllClllllb-Slllffi-CB, "1e amplitude of the angle of vane oscillation is a factor which can be varied witl 11 wide limits by the selection and use'of a suitahlyinciined fulcrum, whereas in those constructions in which oscillation is derived from a crank or fulcrum off-set from the axis of a stationary or anchored c ank-shaft or like member, any desired amplitude of oscillation (within wide 'niits) may be provided by suitably predeteri' the off-setting of the fulcrum and the relat ons of the linkages. It is,

. is e vanes are required to oscillate over an angle greater or loss than 90, then, instead of setting the vanes at the opposite ends of the spindle at right angles,

' they are set to each other at an angle equal to that of the oscillation amplitude to be imparted to the spindle 'oy vane-control mechanism.

The sense of this angle may be determined 1 ordinary mathematical principles, or it may be ascertained or arrived at during the assembly of the machine by procedure of fixing only one va e to its spindle (leaving the other temporarily free or loose), mounting the spindle in the rotor and adjusting the same to the position wherein the fixed vane set to pass the stator abutment, then turning the rotor and adjusting the loose vane also to pass the abutment finally keying the Les"- mentioned vane in its adjusted position to the spindle.

Oscillatory-vane control mechanisms such as herein describe-cl may'advantageously be applied to pumps, motors and. the like in which the peiphery oi the rotor is formed, as shown in Figures 2, 2A, and 213, with two circumferential working chambers a, separated intermediate the vane-housings r byan interrupted partitioning rim or web 03 Each chamber is engaged by a fixed fluid-abutment f and vanes c are constructed with three blades as illustrated in Figures 2A and 213, where Figure 2A shows one of the vanes in an impelling or working position, with the blades disposed across the peripheral fluid-chambers, whereas Figure 2B shows the vane with the blades aligned to the said chambers and passing the fixed abutments.

Alternatively, the oscillatory vane-controls may be applied to machines such as described in British specification No. 341,013, in which single-blade vanes are arranged to operate in circumierentially-p rtitioned fluid-chambers and to pass between double-bladed stator abutments as and when the vane blade is brought into alignm nt with the partitioning rims between the chambers.

As a further alternative, the oscillatory controls may be applied to machines in which douole-bladed vanes are used in a rotor which is formed with a single circumferential fiuid chamber x as shown in Figures 20, 2D, and 2E. In such a case, the blades of the vane pass on opposite sides of the stator abutment f in their travel past the latter as illustrated in Figure 2C, where the vane is shown at the end of its scillation in one direction and, therefore, momentarily at rest in the oscillatory sense, and about to move in the opposite direction as shown by the arrow.

But whether the three-bladed or the twobladed construction of vane is adopted, recesses are formed in the outer walls of the fluid chamber or chambers to accommodate or contain the side-blades when the vanes are feathered to the abutment-passing position.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. In a rotary pump and the like, a stator including a rotor chamber provided with spaced inlet and outlet ports and with a fixed abutment positioned intermediate said inlet and outlet ports, an anchored member within said rotor chamber, a rotor within said rotor chamber provided with a peripheral channel receiving the fixed abutment and carrying a feathering vane mounted on a vane spindle, said rotor and vane assembly revolving about said anchored memher with the vane normally intersecting said rotor channel, means operable by movement of the rotor for imparting oscillatory movement to the vane spindle to permit said vane to pass said abutment during rotation of said rotor, said means comprising a mechanical coupling extending between said vane spindle and a stationary point on said anchored member, said stationary point being ofiset with respect to the axis of revolution of the said rotor and vane assembly.

2. In a rotary pump and the like, a stator including a rotor chamber provided with spaced inlet and outlet ports and with a fixed abutmerit positioned intermediate said inlet and outlet ports, an anchored member within said rotor chamber, a rotor within said rotor chamber provided with a peripheral channel receiving the die and a stationary point on said anchored 7 member, said stationary point being offset with respect to the axis of revolution of the said rotor and vane assembly, the axis of oscillation of the vane spindle intersecting the axis of revolution of the rotor and vane assembly.

3. In a rotary pump and the like, a stator including a rotor chamber provided with spaced inlet and outlet ports and with a fixed abutment positioned intermediate said inlet and outlet ports, an anchored member within said rotor chamber, a rotor within said rotor chamber provided with a peripheral channel receiving the fixed abutment and carrying a feathering vane mounted on a vane spindle, said rotor and vane assembly revolving about said anchored memher with the vane normally intersecting said rotor channel, means operable by movement of the rotor for imparting oscillatory movement to the vane spindle to permit said vane to pass said abutment during rotation of said rotor, said means comprising a mechanical coupling extending between said vane spindle and 'a stationary point on said anchored member, said stationary point being offset with respect to the axis of revolution of the said rotor and vane assembly, the oscillating movement of the vane spindle being timed with reference to the travel of the vane past the stator abutment, whereby the change of direction or" vane oscillation approximately synchronizes with the travel of the vane past the abutment. Y I

l. In a rotary pump and the like, a stator including a rotor chamber provided with spaced inlet and outlet ports and with a fixed abutment positioned intermediate said inlet and outlet ports, an anchored member within said rotor chamber, a rotor within said rotor chamber provided with a peripheral channel receiving the fixed abutment and carrying a feathering vane mounted on a vane spindle journaled in the rotor, said rotor and vane assembly revolving about said anchored member with the vane normally intersecting said rotor channeL-means operable by movement of the rotor for imparting oscillatory movement to the vane spindle to permit said vane to pass said abutment during rotation of said rotor, said means comprising a mechanical coupling extending between said vane spindie and a stationary point on said anchored member, said stationary point being offset with respect to the axis of revolution of the said rotor and vane assembly, the axis of oscillation of the vane spindle intersecting the axis of revolution of the rotor and vane assembly, said mechanical coupling being disposed obliquely with respect to the axes of the vane spindle and rotor.

WILLIAM MORGAN. 

